Random Thoughts Post

I was thinking about what the heck I was going to write today and then after nothing I decided that I would do a random thoughts post today. So after a great weekend of football and college basketball here we go:

Is it just me, or does this years NFL draft look awfully weak? Also if there is a lockout will underclassman stay for another year? At least more this year than any other.

The best prospects in the NFL draft this year are non-high profile players. I just can’t buy into the Jake Locker / Andrew Luck hype machine. The card companies have their work cut out for them.

Topps introduced Gypsy cards on the web last week. It’s the first retro set that I actually think might not make it to fruition. Who wants gemstone cards? take those away and you have another A&G want to be.

Also if Topps would spend less time on making retro sets and more time in designing aesthetically pleasing cards, the card market might make a comeback.

Topps Prime = UD Base, am I alone on this?

Would Michael Vick excel like this on any other team? I mean if you dropped him in Seattle or Carolina (two teams that need a QB) would he excel? I’m thinking if he doesn’t go back to the Eagles, his best plays are in Minnesota or Phoenix, although KC might be a good fit too.

Topps 5 star looks fantastic, but not $450 a box fantastic, can anyone say Stadium Club all over again?

If Cardboard Concepts ever decided to make a Sports King set for the masses, I think it would do very very well. Makes you wonder why they haven’t committed to that yet. There is more demand for older players than rookies. A set of retired stars on a vintage card might work very well.

Speaking of vintage, man I would love to see a tall boy set again. Sure there is no good way to keep them protected but, there is just something about a tall boy set that is so much fun to collect.

The more I think about things the more I believe that the 1970’s had the best card designs. Why doesn’t Topps see this?

Why resurrect the Leaf name only to sell MMA cards. I love the world of MMA but it makes for lousy sets.

Can we all agree that exclusive contracts for cards and sports is a bad thing? A very bad thing?

I think it’s time for the sports to realize that they can’t charge what they used to charge the card companies for licensing fees anymore. The industry is sinking because of it.

Wouldn’t it be cool if a new company rose from the ashes and actually listened to it’s customer base?

This years crop of baseball draft fodder is terrible. It might go down as one of the worst drafts in history. There is Gerit Cole and no one else.

This year’s Winter Classic is going to suck, it’s time they moved it back to Canada where every winter classic deserves to be. Pittsburgh is not Classic worthy and neither is Washington. What I wouldn’t give to see a Toronto vs Montreal Winter Classic, or a Detroit / Toronto, or even a Chicago / Montreal matchup. Nothing is “Classic” about Pittsburgh and Washington.

Well I think that’s enough randomness for the day. At least I have an idea where I want to go post wise over the next few days. Have a great holiday week!

Andrew Luck could be a huge NFL star. With underclassmen the class should be decent. And the Winter Classic in the Burgh should be great. Pittsburgh not at the level of Canada is a very good hckey town.

I agree that the Winter Classic should have different teams. It should have at least one original six team in it. Pittsburgh is a band wagon hockey town and Washington is even worse. Montreal/ Boston would be great!

I agree with the majority here, if you are to have outdoor hockey as a spectacle, you should have heritage with it. Montreal vs Toronto outside would be fantastic. Even Montreal vs Ottawa or Toronto vs Boston could work. Detroit vs Chicago also works. Heck, the Bears vs Vikings outside is better than the Penguins vs Capitals. The 2011 version seems too forced on what the NHL hopes to be a good matchup, not what works for the sport. Don’t be surprised if Phoenix and Anaheim end up in one to push those markets…
I am in the minority about the GQ cards. For what it is worth, I like the design, but the concept is getting redundant. I think the monopoly on the market has Topps feeling its oats, so to speak, with its free wielding opportunities, but just as any other market that is getting stale, you have to work new angles when the old storylines become tiresome.

This year’s MLB draft is expected to be one of the best in the past decade. The only reason people might think otherwise is there is not a Strasburg/Harper type figure in this draft. Scouts say very few players from last years draft would even figure into this year’s 1st round. Beyond Harper, Taillon and Machado there really wasn’t anyone else

dwight I absolutely agree with you on last year’s draft. However who is the stud this year? Rendon? Cole? Purke? I think Cole and Purke are legit. Rendon isn’t even All Star caliber. Anyone else from this first round projection:http://www.mymlbdraft.com/MLB-Mock-Draft-2011
Really, this draft is going to be sad!

It’s actually fairly easy to argue Rendon, the current #1 player in the draft, over Bryce Harper. He plays a more valuable position, is closer to the majors, and is probably a better hitter with less power. He gets compared to Longoria.

dwight I absolutely agree with you on last year’s draft. However who is the stud this year? Rendon? Cole? Purke? I think Cole and Purke are legit. Rendon isn’t even All Star caliber. Anyone else from this first round projection: http://www.mymlbdraft.com/MLB-Mock-Draft-2011 Really, this draft is going to be sad!

Most people do agree that Rendon is the #1 guy in the draft but its really the depth of the draft that makes it special. Like I said earlier, most guys from last year’s 1st round would not have been in this year’s first round.

How bout Devils vs Rangers at the new meadowlands or Rangers versus Islanders at Yankee Stadium or Shiti Field. Maybe Minnesota Wild versus Dallas Stars at University of Minnesota Field.

P.S. The hobby is in deep shit. I personally think the hobby is dead. People are dropping car payments on boxes and getting Mike Rouse triple signed jerseys. There is no end in sight. How does UD continue to pay LeBum? When will Topps stop sending the same old crap out year in and year out. I wish Absolute Memorabilia was still out those were worth it even if you over paid you still got at least a Molitor 3 uni auto. The hobby can suck it and I have been boycotting it till they fix the damn thing.

Whoever made the uninformed comment that Pittsburgh is a bandwagon hockey fan town is completely ridiculous and smoking the wacky weed too heavily to understand the bombastically retarded things that spew forth from their fingers. I grew up there and there has always been a huge following of Penguin fans going back to the mid-70s (it did take a few years for the team to catch on). What those that are on the outside don’t understand is that Pittsburgh fans, whether football, baseball, or hockey are fickle by nature. When they win, we love them. When they lose, we loathe them. But in the end, we will defend them to the depths of the earth. There is so much tradition in championship teams in the city (it’s not called the City Of Champions for nothing) that anything less than some type of hardware is looked at as a failure. The Pirates have 7, the Steelers have 6, the Penguins have 3, and don’t get me started on the accomplishments of Pitt sports teams.

Is this the best match-up for the WC? I don’t know but I am looking forward to it. You have arguably 3 of the top 5 players in the league featured in the game and a rivalry that goes back to the mid-late 70s. And, there is no denying the fact that both these teams high powered offenses are exciting to watch. I realize that’s nothing compared to seeing an Original 6 battle but we did have that with the Hawks and Wings already.

I think the only issue at hand and what is getting everyone’s panties in a bunch is that we have the two biggest players in the game today involved in this event and the inherent dichotomy of fandom creates a rift between the two factions. You either like Crosby and hate Ovechkin, or you love Ovie and hate Sid. Their doesn’t seem to be a middle ground.